MARIETTA, Ga. — Cobb County School District is among the many organizations observing National School Bus Safety Week this week.

The district is undertaking a variety of efforts to show appreciation for its more than 1,000 school bus drivers, who transport nearly 80,000 students daily.

National School Bus Safety Week “gives us a chance to thank and honor the professional school bus drivers and bus monitors who devote themselves to transporting our most precious cargo,” said Rick Grisham, the district’s executive director of transportation.

Throughout the week, Cobb County School District students, staff, and parents will celebrate school bus drivers and monitors with such initiatives as:

• Creating thank-you cards and posters
• Participating in a poetry-writing contest to honor school bus drivers
• Displaying thank-you banners at the bus port
• Providing breakfasts or lunches
• Handing out goodie bags

During School Bus Safety Week, Cobb County School District is also reminding motorists to stop for school buses that are loading or unloading students.

“As motorists, we have a responsibility to exercise care, be on the alert, and obey all laws when we are near or at a school bus stop,” Grisham said.

Cobb County has seen success in reducing illegal passing of its school buses with the use of stop-arm cameras and public awareness efforts, as reported in the October issue of SBF.